COVINGTON, Ga. – A 41-year-old Covington man will spend the next 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple sex-related charges in Newton County Superior Court on Thursday.

William Preston Murphy faced the potential of life in prison plus 170 years if he had been tried and convicted of all the charges against him including rape, statutory rape, child molestation and computer pornography.

Murphy pleaded guilty in Alcovy Judicial Circuit Judge Samuel Ozburn’s courtroom for crimes involving a minor that took place from 2012 to 2017.

He received a life sentence with 28 years to serve for rape plus multiple years on the remaining charges to run concurrently.

Newton County Senior Assistant District Attorney Amber Bennett said Murphy will be released in 28 years and then spend the rest of his life on probation. He will be required to register as a sex offender when he is released.